Is Kerala Government’s Repeated Bid To Arraign Pinarayi Politically Motivated?

8 years ago

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With the elections to Kerala’ legislative assembly fast approaching, UDF government’s fresh bid to put CPM polit bureau member Pinarayi Vijayan on the defensive in SNC-Lavalin case today is widely considered as a desperate move to realign the voters who seem to have slithered away from UDF.

According to unofficial reports, after LSG elections in last November, the congress led UDF suffered a loss of around four lakh votes. Again, solar scam, bar bribery case and other charges of corruption during the last five years have done much damage to reputation of UDF.

So being the situation, Oommen Chandy government’s latest move to grill Pinarayi Vijayan in high court ‘in the wake of upcoming elections’ has attracted severe criticism.

Pinarayi Vijayan was arraigned in ‘Lavalin’ case in 2009 on charges that he, during his tenure as the state’s power minister in 1988, became a part of a conspiracy which awarded a contract to Canadian company SNC-Lavalin at the loss of Rs 86.25 crore to the state exchequer.

However in November 2013, a CBI special court acquitted him stating that the investigation agency failed to prove charges against him. “A person having a modicum of law in his cranium cannot accept such an absurd position,” observed the court while acquitting him.

Today after two years and two months, Oommen Chandy government decided to move a sub petition in high court seeking to speed up hearing of a previous case against Pinarayi Vijayan’s acquittal. It was filed by a former staff at State Electricity Board (KSEB). Director General of Prosecution T Asif Ali will be approaching high court on behalf of the government.

Meanwhile, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan alleged that the state government is vying to divert public attention from Solar Scam through their bid to grill Pinarayi in Lavalin case. “It is more than two years now since the court had order come. Was the government sleeping for the last two years?” Kodiyeri was quoted by Manorama today. Kodiyeri also alleged that RSS and Oommen Chandy are hand in gloves in the new move against Pinarayi Vijayan.

Over enthusiasm of the government to reopen the case by neglecting a legal advice issued by law secretary also makes political intentions behind the move evident. The law secretary to government had previously observed that there was no need for the government to get involved in the case ‘directly’ and it was for the CBI to move petition in higher courts against the present court order.

Nevertheless, the persistence of CPM and opposing LDF in chasing Palmolein case against Chandy for making political gains should not be forgotten. Similarly, will the opposing political front in Kerala let go a crucial development against UDF and K M Mani in solar scam or bar bribery cases?